WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University wrestling team won eight of ten bouts, seven coming with extra-points, as the Colonels dominated the University of Scranton 40-8 Friday on Senior Night at the Marts Center.
 
Wilkes improved to 4-5 overall in dual matches on the season while Scranton drops to 3-6 in dual match play.
 
Connor Kerwin (Totowa, NJ/Passaic Valley) began the match at 125-pounds with a 16-8 major decision over Alex Boyd to give Wilkes a 4-0 lead. At 133-pounds Michael Richardson (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) followed pinning Kevin Corderio in 2:54 to push the lead to 10-0 after two bouts. Jack Bauer (Ringoes, NJ/Hunterdon Central) earned a technical fall in 2:17 (16-0) at 141-pounds before Ben Grater (Saddle Brooke, NJ/Saddle Brook) posted a 9-0 major decision over Konstantinos Mavrikidis at 149 as Wilkes held a commanding 18-0 advantage after four bouts.
 
Jaryn Hartranft (Catasauqua, PA/Catasauqua) made it five straight extra-point victories to start the match with a fall in 6:30 at 157-pounds with Wilkes leading 24-0. Scranton earned back-to-back major decisions at 165 and 174 to cut into the lead trailing 24-8 with three bouts remaining.
 
Hunter Lowe (Westminster, MD/Winters Mill) sealed the win for the Colonels with an 8-2 decision at 184-pounds before back-to-back falls for Cameron Butka (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) (197) and Caleb Burkhart (Hughesville, PA/Hughesville) (285) in 2:14 and 2:01 respectively finished off the match.
 
Prior to the match Wilkes honored its four seniors as Bauer, Richardson, Lowe and Dawson Tallant (Cape May, NJ/Middle Township) were all acknowledge in a ceremony.
 
Up next the Colonels host the 2024 John Reese Duals Sunday with matches against Keystone College at 11:00 a.m., Penn College at 12:30 p.m. and Oneonta at 2:00 p.m.
 
WU 40, Scranton 8
125 – C. Kerwin (W) major dec. Alex Boyd (S)16-8
133 – M. Richardson (W) fall Kevin Cordero (S) 2:54
141 – J. Bauer (W) tech. fall Shkeb Nadir (S) 16-0 (2:17)
149 – B. Grater (W) major dec. Konstantinos Mavrikidis (S) 9-0
157 – J. Hartranft (W) fall Daniel Kosinski (S) 6:30
165 – Jacob Burgette (S) major dec. T. DuBoff (W) 10-1
174 – Jeremiah Oakes (S) major dec. M. Warren (W) 12-2
184 – H. Lowe (W) dec. Quinten Laughlin (S) 8-2
197 – C. Butka (W) fall Jonathan Sklavounos (W) 2:14
285 – C. Burkhart (W) fall Sean Cordaro (S) 2:01
 
Exhibitions:
141 –Orion Newell (S) dec. C. Sklavounos (W) 9-6
157 – C. Thorpe (W) major dec. Aidan Veirun (S) 17-4
174 – L. Miller (W) fall Salem Essis (S) 2:27
197 – D. Tallant (W) tech. fallDennis Nugra (S) 18-2 (3:40)